(no subject)
Another lil update of what I have been doing :o)
Tues 18th - Flew to Auckland, New Zealand and got to hotel and met the Contiki tour and headed down the pub all night.
Wed 19th - Travelled from Auckland to the Bay of Islands via a Kauri forest (olde olde trees over 1000 years). Then travelled to 'Paihae' (Sp) ?!? and went on the Exiteor (a big speed boat to 'Hole in the rock') ...Headed down bar and local pubs.
Thurs 20th - Went on tour North to Cape Reinga along 90 mile beach. Did boogie boarding down 81m sand dunes ...Walked around Kauri forest and to a shop with Kauri goods.
Fri 21st - Kyacks cancelled due to bad weather so went quad biking. Twas REALLY kewl!! We drove on 400cc quads through forest and farm tracks for 1 1/2 hours. Just about caught bus and went to a waterfall then back to Auckland. Walked into town and went to Skytower then watched England being defeated 2:1 by Brazil. Sigh. Retired to room and watched Red Dwarf to cheer me up.
Sat 22nd - Went to skytower and looked over out over Auckland. Then onto Agrodome (sheep thang) in Rotorua and bathed in a hot spring pool :o) Rang Marie (my cousin) and had a few drinks in a pub then into town and ended up clubbing until 3am ...Twas kewl to see her ...I wish her all the best.
Sun 23rd - Drove from Rotorua to Moari site thang (with geysers and cultural exhibits)... then onto skyline where I went on a luge (I fell off, grazed myself, and tore my trousers and lost camera battery �oops). Then travelled onto Taupo and went on jet boats down to Huka falls ...then went up in a helicopter over the falls and Taupo lake :o) Then went out on the lake for dinner and then karaoke afterwards (I was feeling a lil rough).
Mon 24th - Drove out and walked to Huka falls then onto natural spring mud pools and into Taupo city. Drove to Wellington via awesome views of snow topped mountains (one was Mount Doom in LOTR) ...when we arrived I slept for a bit (headache and sore throat) ...then out for a steak.
Tues 25th - Went quad biking along the coast (slower than bay of islands but still kewl). Walked to and around 'Ta Papa' the museum of New Zealand.
Wed 26th - Went into Wellington then had a 3 hour ferry and 5 hour bus journey to Christchurch (South Island). Took an hour long whale watching flight off Kaikoura ...saw three big 18m humpback whales and several hundred dolphins ...Twas KEWL. At night went to a Texas (outlaw) style restaurant and tried to do karaoke with a sore throat! (me + Karaoke ...be scared be very scared ;oP)
Thurs 27th - Went into Christchurch :o) Then travelled across (4-6 hours) to Fox Glacier ...via a plush Jade factory ...twas fascinating :o) Walked around a glowworm cave...
Fri 28th - Hiked up Fox Glacier for 4 hours ...twas picturesque... Then onto Queenstown via beautiful scenary... Twas kewl ...Went for a meal at the skyline restaurant (up on hill - gondolas access) twas good ...then onto club.
Sat 29th - Walked into queenstown (20 mins). Then went on 'Triple challenge' ...Shotover jet, then helicopter ride ...and white river rafted back. Twas KEWL ...Then walked around Queenstown and back up hill to the hotel.
Sun 30th - Went skiing all day (8am=>4pm)... then had a much needed massage in Queenstown and walked back to the hotel (knackered!!)
July
Mon 1st - Onto Milford Sound where we took a cruise twas beautiful. Then onto Te Anau where I took a boat over to the Glowworm caves (it looked like a star filled night inside the cave!)...
Tues 2nd - Onto Lake Ohau (via Queenstown and Arrowtown) ...Beautifully scenic drives everywhere. Went down the bar all night (notice a theme alcohol and contiki seem to go together).
Wed 3rd - Onto Christchurch ...En route we stopped at two towns and I took a scenic flight around Mount Cook and 12 Glacier flows :o) Twas REALLY beautiful. Went out for a meal and had quite a lot of drinks.
Thurs 4th - Looked around Christchurch :o) Then flew Christchurch => Auckland => L.A.
Thurs 4th (Extra day due to crossing international date line) - LAX had a lot of delays as there were several shootings there (police everywhere - shootings at 11:30 ...I was there from 10:30=>12). Luckily got last shuttle bus to LAX Hilton with Kirk (Friend from contiki). Sat around in bar watching news with Ray Thomas from the Moody Blues (he offered me backstage tickets for his concert in NYC - Sigh the dates did not add up). Then Kirk and I went to Santa Monica and walked around beach then Venice and had lovely dinner in Marina del Ray?? Watched independence day fireworks there :o)
Fri 5th - Flew from LA to NYC (arrived 20:30). Got taxi to B and B. Went for walk then watched TV all night. Grr to jet lag.
Sat 6th - Downloaded emails at B n B ...took a while ...Then slept for most of the day. Had a delicious Italian meal and then walked down to and took ferry to Manhattan ...Subway to Time Square and saw 'Men in Black 2' ...Twas kewl. Laid awake until 03:30 ...
I plan to see lots of places in NYC over the next few days ...and hopefully meet up with April and Myke on the 10th :o) Then head up to Toronto on the 12th/13th July... At the moment I am just going with the flow.
Best go,
Take care,
Stu :o)
Tues 18th - Flew to Auckland, New Zealand and got to hotel and met the Contiki tour and headed down the pub all night.
Wed 19th - Travelled from Auckland to the Bay of Islands via a Kauri forest (olde olde trees over 1000 years). Then travelled to 'Paihae' (Sp) ?!? and went on the Exiteor (a big speed boat to 'Hole in the rock') ...Headed down bar and local pubs.
Thurs 20th - Went on tour North to Cape Reinga along 90 mile beach. Did boogie boarding down 81m sand dunes ...Walked around Kauri forest and to a shop with Kauri goods.
Fri 21st - Kyacks cancelled due to bad weather so went quad biking. Twas REALLY kewl!! We drove on 400cc quads through forest and farm tracks for 1 1/2 hours. Just about caught bus and went to a waterfall then back to Auckland. Walked into town and went to Skytower then watched England being defeated 2:1 by Brazil. Sigh. Retired to room and watched Red Dwarf to cheer me up.
Sat 22nd - Went to skytower and looked over out over Auckland. Then onto Agrodome (sheep thang) in Rotorua and bathed in a hot spring pool :o) Rang Marie (my cousin) and had a few drinks in a pub then into town and ended up clubbing until 3am ...Twas kewl to see her ...I wish her all the best.
Sun 23rd - Drove from Rotorua to Moari site thang (with geysers and cultural exhibits)... then onto skyline where I went on a luge (I fell off, grazed myself, and tore my trousers and lost camera battery �oops). Then travelled onto Taupo and went on jet boats down to Huka falls ...then went up in a helicopter over the falls and Taupo lake :o) Then went out on the lake for dinner and then karaoke afterwards (I was feeling a lil rough).
Mon 24th - Drove out and walked to Huka falls then onto natural spring mud pools and into Taupo city. Drove to Wellington via awesome views of snow topped mountains (one was Mount Doom in LOTR) ...when we arrived I slept for a bit (headache and sore throat) ...then out for a steak.
Tues 25th - Went quad biking along the coast (slower than bay of islands but still kewl). Walked to and around 'Ta Papa' the museum of New Zealand.
Wed 26th - Went into Wellington then had a 3 hour ferry and 5 hour bus journey to Christchurch (South Island). Took an hour long whale watching flight off Kaikoura ...saw three big 18m humpback whales and several hundred dolphins ...Twas KEWL. At night went to a Texas (outlaw) style restaurant and tried to do karaoke with a sore throat! (me + Karaoke ...be scared be very scared ;oP)
Thurs 27th - Went into Christchurch :o) Then travelled across (4-6 hours) to Fox Glacier ...via a plush Jade factory ...twas fascinating :o) Walked around a glowworm cave...
Fri 28th - Hiked up Fox Glacier for 4 hours ...twas picturesque... Then onto Queenstown via beautiful scenary... Twas kewl ...Went for a meal at the skyline restaurant (up on hill - gondolas access) twas good ...then onto club.
Sat 29th - Walked into queenstown (20 mins). Then went on 'Triple challenge' ...Shotover jet, then helicopter ride ...and white river rafted back. Twas KEWL ...Then walked around Queenstown and back up hill to the hotel.
Sun 30th - Went skiing all day (8am=>4pm)... then had a much needed massage in Queenstown and walked back to the hotel (knackered!!)
July
Mon 1st - Onto Milford Sound where we took a cruise twas beautiful. Then onto Te Anau where I took a boat over to the Glowworm caves (it looked like a star filled night inside the cave!)...
Tues 2nd - Onto Lake Ohau (via Queenstown and Arrowtown) ...Beautifully scenic drives everywhere. Went down the bar all night (notice a theme alcohol and contiki seem to go together).
Wed 3rd - Onto Christchurch ...En route we stopped at two towns and I took a scenic flight around Mount Cook and 12 Glacier flows :o) Twas REALLY beautiful. Went out for a meal and had quite a lot of drinks.
Thurs 4th - Looked around Christchurch :o) Then flew Christchurch => Auckland => L.A.
Thurs 4th (Extra day due to crossing international date line) - LAX had a lot of delays as there were several shootings there (police everywhere - shootings at 11:30 ...I was there from 10:30=>12). Luckily got last shuttle bus to LAX Hilton with Kirk (Friend from contiki). Sat around in bar watching news with Ray Thomas from the Moody Blues (he offered me backstage tickets for his concert in NYC - Sigh the dates did not add up). Then Kirk and I went to Santa Monica and walked around beach then Venice and had lovely dinner in Marina del Ray?? Watched independence day fireworks there :o)
Fri 5th - Flew from LA to NYC (arrived 20:30). Got taxi to B and B. Went for walk then watched TV all night. Grr to jet lag.
Sat 6th - Downloaded emails at B n B ...took a while ...Then slept for most of the day. Had a delicious Italian meal and then walked down to and took ferry to Manhattan ...Subway to Time Square and saw 'Men in Black 2' ...Twas kewl. Laid awake until 03:30 ...
I plan to see lots of places in NYC over the next few days ...and hopefully meet up with April and Myke on the 10th :o) Then head up to Toronto on the 12th/13th July... At the moment I am just going with the flow.
Best go,
Take care,
Stu :o)